Islamabad (September 09, 2024) Pakistani immigrants should not compromise on their culture and identity to fit in with their new country, and they should infuse the local populations with some of the best aspects of the culture they bring with them.
Well-known columnist Baig Raj said that continuing with the culture and traditions is the best choice for Pakistanis settled abroad.
Speaking to prominent Pakistanis living in Melbourne at a ceremony held in his honour, he said that immigrants usually embrace the educational and occupational opportunities in their new country so that they and their children can succeed there.
However, he added that they should maintain their religion, keep their customs, identity, and traditions, and transfer them to their children.
Pakistani immigrants must prefer to live in a community of other immigrants from the same country, which will help them gain information about how to navigate their way in the new country. Their social life may revolve around people from the old country.
He said that generally, the third generation fully integrates into the new country. They may no longer speak their grandparents’ language and, in some cases, follow their grandparents’ faith, but many among them appreciate the sacrifices their ancestors made to bring the family to a new country.
Baig Raj stressed that the real future of overseas Pakistanis is their children and grandchildren. If the new generations become indifferent to their ancestors, the future could not be better.
Baig Raj, who is currently in Australia on a private visit for the Recognize Pakistan campaign, said that the Australian government encourages community culture.
Pakistanis should maintain their Australian identity as well as their Pakistani identity, just like the Sikhs, Turkish and Arab communities maintain their identity in the new countries.
He said that the Pakistani community of Australia is educated and very patriotic. The need is to increase their influence in society. The useful trends here should be transferred to Pakistani society.
Pakistan’s better family system should be introduced as a model for the Australian society and instead of competition, we should work together for better results, he underlined.
He noted that there is no immediate threat of Islam phobia in Australia, but to avoid any possible problem, Muslims, especially Pakistanis, should strive for social harmony.
Eminent personalities of the Pakistani community including Mr Engineer Manzoor Mian, Dr Majid Naeem Gondal, Mr Rafiq Shakir, Mr Khurram Malik and Mr Sahir Sujeel Khan, were present at the occasion.
